Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are among others:^{[6][lower-alpha 1]}

• Papyrus 115 (ca. AD 275; extant verses 1–5, 7–16, 18–21)
• Papyrus 47 (3rd century)
• Papyrus 85 (4th century; extant verses 19–21)
• Codex Sinaiticus (330-360)
• Codex Alexandrinus (400-440)
• Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (ca. 450; extant verses 17–21)

Old Testament references

• Revelation 9:20: Psalm 115:4; Psalm 135:15^[8]

Verse 1

Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.^[9]

English nonconformist Moses Lowman explains that "stars, in the language of prophecy, signify angels.^[10]

"The key to the bottomless pit" (Biblical Greek: ἡ κλεὶς τοῦ φρέατος τῆς ἀβύσσου, romanized: hē kleis tou phreatos tēs abyssou) is translated as "the key to the shaft of the Abyss" in the New International Version.

Verse 3

Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.^[11]

These locusts are 'a demonized version of the army of locusts in Joel 2:1–11'.^[12]

Verse 4

They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree ^[13]

Early Methodist theologian Joseph Benson says that this instruction "demonstrates that they were not natural but symbolical locusts."^[14]

Verse 11

And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.^[15][16]

The Vulgate adds a Latin equivalent, latine habens nomen Exterminans, which the Wycliffe Bible explains as "Destroyer". The latter also describes the angel as "the angel of deepness".^[17]

Verse 16

Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.^[18]